Genre: Young adult thriller

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Topics:
• Carrie meets racism meets podcast
• White privilege
• Religious trauma
• Self discovery
• Societal racism

Notable quotes:
"But what you unconsciously left out is how societal racism played a large role in the incident."
"'It is. So don't pretend you value everyone's blackness equally. You put a value on it.'"

Fantastic. I truly loved this book. Everything from the first excerpt to the very last sentence, it was amazing. Jackson's writing is different and so well thought out it was a great reading experience. The simple details of hair textures to the utter gore of the prom everything was had amazing thought. I loved the multiple views and timelines and writing techniques.

Every character big or small had so much details I couldn't say I didn't know these characters by the end of the book. From the great details of Maddy's personality, looks and mannerisms to Tanya who we only got to hear her voice yet still got the same amount of life as Maddy did. I also have to say the way we got to see into almost every character's head and got to see how they saw the same situations gave so much to each character it was great.

Finally we have Springville. This small town was so visually there while also not given many details of the town. I knew exactly how the town looked from the railroad to the main shops to the houses. The railroad dividing the town and the white characters thoughts also added another layer of how the town looked demographically

Overall, I have recommended this book to basically everyone and I will continue to recommend this book to anyone who will listen to me. A fantastic book and I'm so excited to read more of Tiffany Jackson's books!


Thank you to HarperCollins for giving me an ARC of this book

At first glance, this is a retelling of Carrie with a protagonist who had until recently been passing as white -- but it's
so much more. Through fictional podcasts, news stories, and conversations between characters, the author has juxtaposed an homage to a classic horror tale with the real life horrors of racism, segregation, sundown towns, and lynching. Tiffany D. Jackson is emerging as one of the best horror authors around.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. Jackson does it again and creates a world filled with fascinating characters. I enjoyed the "mixed media" aspect of the book with the podcast speculating about what happened. This book is explicit in its portrayals of racism and is not for the faint of heart.

It's definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.

Wow. If you know Tiffany D. Jackson's work, then you know that this was always going to be a knockout, and OH WAS IT EVER. This book is a must read, my review will be a little scarce because the twists and the secrets are aplenty!

CW: murder, violence, blood, racism, police brutality, bullying, racist attacks, gore, fire, fire injury

Throughout this book we follow many different perspectives, done in a randomized/popcorn style. Maddy is our main character, a young biracial, who has been raised by her fanatical father to pass as white. When an unexpected rainstorm reveals her secret, she's faced with racism and bullying. But what her classmates don't know is Maddy has an even bigger secret, one that could put everyone in danger.

The students at this school were garbage. Wendy was the type of white ally who thinks she's good because she doesn't join in when her friends are being racist, but doesn't stop them. Also instead of asking the community that was impacted what they wanted, she made decisions on their behalf. Kendrick is the cool Black guy who plays football and hangs out with the popular kids. But he's got his own stuff going on, and does experience a lot of character growth. Maddy's dad was horrible, the teacher tried her best, and Kali was my favourite person. And Jules? Knowing that many, many people like her exist in the real world makes me want to launch myself into space.

The plot in this is so well done, so meticulously interwoven, and had me on the edge of my seat. We follow Maddy and the other students' timeline leading up to prom, while also reading interviews and articles detailing what happened at prom at the start of each chapter. This combination is so masterfully done, and had me hooked. The ending of this leaves the reader with a few questions, similar to Allegedly, and White Smoke. They're questions that make you think, which for me is a satisfying ending.

The writing is phenomenal, so many elements of this story felt pulled from real life events. The elements that weren't rooted in our world were so interestingly done as well of course. Vague enough? I hope so lol.

Overall this book was a force, and I cannot recommend it enough tbh

A modern version of Carrie that addresses racism in a small southern town, Weight of Blood is absolutely incredible.

Tiffany D Jackson does a phenomenal job at bringing one of horror’s most beloved characters into the present, and showcasing horrific racism at the hands of a zealot father that’s obsessed with whiteness and conservative values.

This novel should chill us all to our bones because it feels real.

And, for the nostalgic Carrie lovers, don’t worry- prom night is still the ultimate show down.

Definitely a five star read. Tiffany D Jackson fans, horror fans, and so many more people are going to absolutely love this novel.

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegan Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.**

This book was brilliant, as are all of Tiffany’s books! This one really shakes you up and deals with some heavy subject matter. It shines a light on the fact that even in this day and age, schools are still having racially segregated proms. You really feel for Maddy and want to learn her story and see her succeed, after such a stifling upbringing. The telekinesis element is really thrilling and keeps you enthralled. My only complaint is that I wish we knew more of what happened to the main characters at the end, as it’s left very open-ended.

A great and spooky story for the Halloween season. With a mixture of Carrie and Get Out, this book will have you screaming with each new chapter.

In this book we follow the senior class as prom night approaches, and what happens that night will leave pretty much the whole class dead. When Maddy Washington gets caught in the rain one day at school everything changes for her. Bullied by nearly everyone (grown adults included) and made to be the butt of horrible racist jokes she can no longer control her new acquired powers of telekinesis. As the story jumps back and forth between the main characters and a podcast covering the event of that night years later we are able to see into each of the lives of the teens that play into what finally happens on prom night; however that is not the real message of this well-written story that litterally ripped my heart out and made me love every second of it!
This story shows of us just a glimpse of what people of color have to deal with still even in present times. It also brilliantly illustrated some of the issues that people of color have to deal with in their everyday lives navigating the world. It was heartbreaking to me what some people have to go through not really belonging anywhere in the world and trying to just survive even if it means hiding who they really are. I felt every emotion I think this author intended for us to feel. I felt the rage that Maddy must have felt at all the injustice of the world as she started discovering how African Americans and Black people were treated in the past and present. Her shock and desperation of losing a loved one just based on the color of their skin. Ms. Jackson definitley used the horror genre to reveal to us that the most evil and horrifying things are real, and some humans are the actual monsters hiding in plain sight.
I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to review this book with an arc from #netgalley I am walking away discovering once again that nothing should shock me. I couldn't (or didn't) want to believe some of these archaic racist practices that are still going on today. Segregated proms still in 2022 seriously WTF? In certain states this still exists and Ms. Jackson points them out in the opening of the story (the states named did not surprise me at all though). We still have a long way to go to make sure that the color of a person skin, their religion, or sexual orientation isn't in anyway a factor in how people are treated.

I came into this with high expectations. A reimagining of Carrie as a biracial teen in a suburban town whose racism is ever threatening to bubble over?... Sign. me. up.

It absolutely delivered. This book is SMART with a lot to say and a compelling cast of characters. I was so invested and could hardly put this one down. Even though I was sad to finish it, the ending was wholly satisfying for me... and without saying too much, I'll just say I hope Maddy is somewhere out there living her best life.

Reading the arc on Net Galley, I immediately fell in love with this text. The authors ability to manipulate various POVs throughout the text, embed pieces of a favorite retelling (Carrie) set in the same timeframe , and weave together such a riveting and spellbinding story depicting not only the times but also racism in its true form for that period and region was truly engrossing.

I was granted complimentary eARC access to The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson via NetGalley following my attendance at a #FrenzyPresents HarperCollins fall catalogue preview in August. Thank you for the opportunity to read yet another Tiffany D. Jackson masterpiece! Unfortunately, I didn't gain access far enough in advance of publication day to be able to read it "in advance." Fortunately, I did finish before the second fall preview event at which Jackson was the guest author talking about this book! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

The Weight of Blood is a modern take on Stephen King's Carrie, but in the 21st Century during the time of social media and the start of today's social justice movements. Inspired by a very real news story from 2014 about a small town in the USA where a racially integrated prom was being held for the first time and much of the town figured it was unnecessary and wouldn't become a tradition, The Weight of Blood asks what if the awful townspeople and students in Carrie were also racists.

This book follows the book and film Carrie in broad stokes. A quiet, unpopular, bullied teenage girl from an ultra-religious single-parent home (complete with "prayer closet") is set up as prom queen, with the popular guy of popular guys as her date, only to be humiliated by being covered head to toe in an unpleasant liquid while up on stage being crowned. She proceeds to use telekinetic abilities to enact revenge on everyone present. Where this book differs is in the small details (paint, not animal blood, for example,) in the added layers of racism within the plot, and in the introduction of a second timeline where survivors and outsiders break down what happened via podcast.

I'm both a big fan of classic horror and an even bigger fan of Jackson's writing, so this book is an easy 5 out of 5 stars for me! I love what this book changes, from small things like gender-swapping a lot of roles (Maddy lives with her father, the bullies setting up the pranks are girls) to big things like an exploration of what it means to be white-passing in a town that likes to pretend it's still the 1960s and what happens when the truth is discovered. Maddy is dealing with racism from her white classmates and rejection from her black classmates because the former have realized she isn't "one of them" and the latter thinks she sees herself as "too good for them."

Readers be warned that this book is graphic at times, which I do think the title and the inspiration hint at quite well on their own, but it needs to be said. Characters die in graphic ways. Beyond that, there's a lot of racism, the N-word is used multiple times, and there's a predictable amount of bullying and abuse toward Maddy and other minors.

Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the eARC and for my second opportunity to hear Jackson speak about her writing!

This is one of the best spooky movie reimagining I’ve ever read. I was absolutely sucked into this diverse and socially relevant reimagining of Stephen King’s Carrie. I couldn’t stop thinking about this title when I put it down and had to finish it in the same day. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a captivating spooky season read!

✨Book Review✨
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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This book was unputdownable. I was captivated from the first page and just had to see what was going to happen.
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Things I loved:
-The brilliance of race relations between the characters. Jackson writes problematic white people very well.
-The storytelling from multiple perspectives, including podcast interviews from the future.
-The many small references to the ways that victims get blamed and labeled as criminals.
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Things I didn't like:
-All of the unanswered questions as the end! I feel like there is a missing chapter. I also might be making this up, but I feel like I saw Jackson talking about a bonus chapter at some point. I need to find it! Help!

Maddy is a biracial teenager who’s been forced to pass as white her whole life by her dad, a super chill religious zealot and Leave it to Beaver stan. She’s viciously bullied at school, and when her shitty classmates learn she’s Black, the bullying escalates, leading to a viral video and the deeply racist town holding their first integrated prom. Based on the cover, I’m assuming you can guess that the prom does not go well for anyone.

Aaaagh omg I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. A YA Carrie retelling with a Black girl protagonist??!!?? YES, PLEASE!

Using a podcast as a plot device/exposition vehicle has been done to death and back, but it really worked for this story. Maddy was such a sympathetic character — nothing ever went right for her, and the one time it does… it still goes bad. This was my first book by Jackson, and now I need to locate my as-yet-unread copy of White Smoke and read it immediately!

Highly recommend for 13+

Maddy is such an intense, incredibly character. I could not put this book down. This book is perfect if you're into supernatural/sci-fi/suspense, it is ridiculously suspenseful. I love Tiffany's writing style and always gravitate towards her stories. This book is set in 2014 in a town that is so backwards and disgusting. This book is for the people of color who feel nothing but rage sometimes, because our MC knows exactly what to do with that rage. Inspired by Carrie, this book was the perfect combination of suspense and thrill.

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #theweightofblood

The Weight of Blood takes Stephen King's Carrie and uses racism for the catalyst that turns a bullied young black girl into something monstrous. Maddy wanted nothing more than one day of just being normal, but even that was denied to her as her dream prom becomes a nightmare.
This was an enthralling tale and I highly recommend it! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

Incredible! While you can follow and understand this story if you haven’t read or watched Carrie, the experience is so much richer if you’re a fan of the book or films.

Carrie is one of my favorite books. I’ve taught it in class and what Jackson is able to do is so powerful and clever and meaningful, I cannot say enough about her commentary on race, expectations on teenagers, and the impact of lifelong abuse.

The book unfolds similarly to its source material: religious zealot, single parent, cruelty and bullying from classmates, adults in the town doing nothing to support the main character, Maddy Washington, who has been raised to pass as white in a deeply racist and divided town. When Maddy gets caught in the rain and her secret is revealed, lines are drawn; sides taken, and events play out in ways no one in the town is prepared for or understands.

High school senior Maddy Washington thinks she’s not doing too bad in her Bible Belt town. Despite having an abusive white father, biracial Maddy has been passing as white since she started school. She’s supposed to check the weather multiple times a day, so she’s not caught in a storm which could curl her straightened hair, exposing her true identity. But that’s exactly what happens one day, and she receives some cruel treatment from her classmates, as they bully her by launching pencils in her hair. The aftermath follows the school trying to make reparations for that and other racist incidents by having their first integrated prom. As the countdown to prom ticks on, Maddy comes to learn things about herself that will change her life forever.

It’s no secret that I’m a diehard Tiffany D. Jackson fan, and as soon as she drops a book, I’m the first to snatch it up. In The Weight of Blood, does not disappoint. Here she weaves together her trademark horror with a story of a town so racist that its guaranteed to make you sicker than any gore she throws at you. At least it made me sick several times. In Maddy she creates a character that will not only break your heart, but also have you cheering for her to come out on top.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this book. I definitely recommend The Weight of Blood.

What I've noticed so far with Tiffany's horror stories is that they don't scare me, but that might be for one of two reasons. Either a. I experience some of the things in her books so often in real life as a black woman that her novels don't phase me, or b. her books are meant to be terrifying to a specific audience. There's also (c) where the books are sold as horror novels to reach a specific audience to make a point to, Either way, this one in particular should be made into a film. It would be so good as a film.

Just in time for the upcoming Fall season, this beautiful, scary, Carrie inspired thriller has been released to the book world.

In The Weight of Blood, Maddy Washington was homeschooled and secluded from other kids until the seventh grade. However, upon entering school with the other kids from the small town she lived in, they didn’t treat her with any sort of respect.

The other students began to call her mad mad Maddy. From that day forward, she kept to herself until things started changing in her life.

In her senior year, the prom committee decided that they would have an all together prom. This meant that the black kids and white kids would have one singular prom and celebrate the end of high school,together.

Maddy was asked to prom by a super popular kid at school. She accepted but this gave an opening for the mean girls to take advantage of Maddy’s vulnerability. Prom 2014 became a tragedy that the town would never forget about.

Some of the chapters have a podcast transcript format at the beginning. This is due to the tragedy being used as part of a true crime podcast (the first podcast episode was actually released today! Talk about cool marketing).

I loved this book. It had the right amount of scare, sadness and the reality of what what BIPOC have to go through on a daily basis.

Thank you @harpercollinscanada for the eARC!